‘Torah for Our Troops’ supporter nominated for 2nd star
March 13th, 2012 | Admirals Carriers Navy | Posted by Jenn Rafael
A flag officer who has led the effort to supply all aircraft carriers with Torah scrolls just got nominated for a second star.
Rear Adm. Herman Shelanski is commander of Carrier Strike Group 10.
Shelanski also will receive the Jewish Military Leadership Award at the JCCs of North America Biennial in May 7. In its announcement, the organization noted Shelanski’s support for Torah for Our Troops, a Jewish Welfare Board/Jewish Chaplains Council initiative to commission lightweight Torah scrolls for chaplains to use in the field and as they move throughout the fleet.
The Torah is Judaism’s holy book. The Torah scroll includes the first five books of the Hebrew Bible and Christian Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy.
When he was commanding officer of the carrier Harry S. Truman in 2007, Shelanski received a Torah recovered from the Holocaust on the ship’s behalf. The scroll was dedicated to the carrier in honor of the 33rd president’s decision to recognize the newly-formed state of Israel in 1948.
In June 2007, Capt. Herman Shelanski, left, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., bow their heads at the commencement of a Torah dedication ceremony aboard the carrier Harry S. Truman. The larger Torah scroll was presented to the ship by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. The smaller Torah in the foreground, known as the Truman Torah, was presented to President Truman by Israel's first president in gratitude for America's diplomatic recognition of the state of Israel in 1948. // MC2 Kristopher Wilson/Navy
Mullen honored at SWO School
March 7th, 2012 | Admirals Chief of naval operations Navy Training | Posted by Jenn Rafael
The Adm. Michael G. Mullen Auditorium was dedicated March 1 at Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, R.I. Here, Mullen, wife Deborah Mullen and son Lt. Michael Mullen Jr. unveil the auditorium's dedication plaque. // MMC Aurain Rodriques/Navy
He may have retired in September, but retired Adm. Mike Mullen’s legacy lives.
An auditorium was dedicated in his name March 1 before a graduation ceremony at Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, R.I.
In speaking to Department Head Class 215, Mullen reflected on his own department head graduation and the training he received throughout his career, according to a Navy news release.
Mullen, a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs and former chief of naval operations, also had kind words for the school: “Newport has always been a great Navy town and a big part of our family’s life. Likewise, SWOS is at the heart and soul of my Navy career. Both Deborah and I were excited to be back home.”
Operation Bold Alligator 2012 underway
February 5th, 2012 | Admirals Amphibious operations Amphibious Ready Group Bold Alligator Gator Navy Navy | Posted by Dan Lamothe
ABOARD THE AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT SHIP WASP — Greetings from the Atlantic Ocean, where we’re covering the largest amphibious exercise on the East Coast since the beginning of the Iraq war.
Rear Adm. Kevin D. Scott briefs reporters aboard the amphibious assault ship Wasp on Saturday on Operation Bold Alligator 2012. (Mike Morones / Staff)
Bold Alligator 2012 involves at least 14,000 personnel from the U.S., France, Great Britain and other countries, and at least 25 ships. The majority of them are American, but Canada and France have both chipped in with their own hardware, as well.
Conceptually, the forces at sea are currently in the early stages of planning an attack on enemy forces from the fictional country of Garnet, a common enemy in what military officers call the “Treasure Coast” scenario. A mechanized Garnetian division has invaded the neighboring country of Amber, and is pushing north toward Amberland, which has asked for coalition assistance to stop advance. Garnet already has mined several harbors and established anti-ship missiles on the coastline, military officials said.
In reality, Bold Alligator will require naval officers to think on their feet to develop strategy and defeat their fictional enemy. They’ll be tested on how they do, and be forced to adapt to real-world changes ranging from scheduling mishaps to bad weather. An amphibious raid will be launched from several ships and coordinated from the Wasp over the next couple of days.
Exploring the ship, it’s clear that many of the Marines on board have been to sea only a few times until Bold Alligator, if ever. For example, Sgt. Michael McDaniel told me that he deployed with 2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., to Iraq for both the initial push to Baghdad in 2003 and urban combat in Fallujah in 2004-05. He’s still with the unit, and has never participated in an amphibious exercise on this scale.
“We’re down here for quite a few hours every day doing maintenance,” he said in Wasp’s well deck, over the clanks, scrapes and groans of Marines moving and cleaning vehicles and weapons. “As long as we stay on top of maintenance, everything should be pretty good.”
Bold Alligator has significant attention from some of the top officers in the Navy and Marine Corps. On board Saturday was Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations; Gen. Joseph Dunford, the assistant commandant of the Marine Corps; Lt. Gen. John Paxton, commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force; and Lt. Gen. Dennis Hejlik, commander of Marine Corps Forces Command; and Vice Adm. David Buss, deputy commander of Fleet Forces Command. That’s in addition to Rear Adm. Kevin Scott and Brig. Gen. Christopher Owens, who are leading the exercise from the Wasp.
The exercise also has attracted attention in Congress. At least four members of the House were here Saturday, including Rep. Buck McKeon, R.-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.
To the extent possible, photographer Mike Morones and I will keep posting updates from the exercise, which we’ll be covering for the next several days. As you might expect at sea, Internet service has been spotty. However, a “Super Bowl Bash” is listed on the ship’s plan of the day Sunday. As a Massachusetts native and Patriots fan, that suits me just fine.
Keep calm and carry on
January 6th, 2012 | 5th Fleet Admirals Carriers Facebook Iran Navy | Posted by Joshua Stewart
Despite trash-talk from Iran, the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is keeping its cool.
After practicing blockading the Strait of Hormuz, a highway for about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply, Iranian Army chief Ataollah Salehi pledged consequences if a U.S. aircraft carrier entered the Persian Golf.
“I advise, recommend and warn them over the return of this carrier to the Persian Gulf because we are not in the habit of warning more than once,” Salehi said.
Days earlier, one of his country’s aircraft captured footage of the Stennis as it operated in the Gulf. Iranian officials claimed that the footage was a sign of weakness in the carrier’s overlapping layers of security.
All of this made headlines and caused the family and friends of Stennis sailors to worry. Many of them posted their concerns on the carrier’s Facebook page.
But fear not, says Rear Adm. Craig Faller, commander of the five-ship carrier strike group. Appearing in a video message apparently shot from his office in the Stennis and later posted on Facebook and YouTube, things are safe, things are fine and there’s nothing unusual going on, he said in a video message. He looks relaxed and pretty comfortable for a guy whose ships were just threatened by a country with big-time nuclear aspirations. The only thing at all frightening about the video is that red phone in the background.
“I know we’ve been in the news lately, so I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you that everything is fine. We’re doing a great job out here and it’s business as usual as we continue to provide outstanding support to Operation Enduring Freedom,” he said.
It may be the first time that a CSG commander tried to quell a national concern and assure families of the safety of their loved ones with an at-sea video message.
So much for retirement …
January 4th, 2012 | Admirals Industry Navy Retired Navy | Posted by Bill McMichael
A Canadian security firm has added the former commander of Navy Region Mid-Atlantic to its board of directors.
On Jan. 3, security and identity management company Route1 Inc. announced the appointment of Rear Adm. Mark S. Boensel, who retired Jan. 1 after more than 33 years of service.
Boensel, who spent his last four years of active service at Mid-Atlantic Region, had an exceedingly diverse career that included years as a naval flight officer and flight instructor — he accumulated more than 3,200 flight hours and more than 600 carrier arrested landings — as a military assistant in the office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, as director of the Chief of Naval Operations Environmental Readiness Division and as commander of Navy Region Southeast.
Boensel also holds post-graduate degrees in Business Administration, International Relations, and National Security and Strategic Studies.
“It gives me great pleasure to welcome Admiral Boensel to the board of directors of Route1,” said Route1 Chairman Michael D. Harris. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and will make an excellent addition to our board.”
SECNAV: Former CNO’s dogs a bit salty
September 27th, 2011 | Admirals Chief of naval operations Humor | Posted by Sam Fellman
Clancy, the Rougheads' labrador, made a cameo in the 2009 holiday message (at the bottom of the screen). // U.S. Navy
Speakers paid tribute to the family of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead at his retirement ceremony last Friday in Annapolis. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus presented an award to his wife Ellen and thanked his daughter Elizabeth “for sharing your father with us.”
But for two other members of the Roughead family, Mabus’ compliments proved double-edged.
“And I can’t fail to mention the contributions of Clancy, the smiling Labrador, and Arleigh, the latest addition, although I do have to say that the vaunted discipline of Gary Roughead does not seem to have rubbed off on the dogs at all,” Mabus said.
Clancy appeared in the CNO’s 2009 holiday message — he sleeps throughout the 45-second clip. Since this seems to be Clancy’s only appearance on Navy.mil, it is difficult to confirm Mabus’ charge that Clancy and Arleigh are a little too salty.
Clancy and Arleigh could not be reached for comment. No pictures of Arleigh were available.
Mullen v. Stewart, round three
September 15th, 2011 | Admirals Entertainment Humor Washington | Posted by Sam Fellman
Adm. Mike Mullen weathered comedian Jon Stewart's jokes well in a Sept. 12 interview. // DoD photo
As he prepares to step down from the military’s top post in two weeks, Adm. Mike Mullen braved the bright lights and barbs of The Daily Show on Monday one last time.
Mullen, while discussing his career, braced himself for the comedic trap, which host Jon Stewart laid about a trip they had taken together to Afghanistan in July to visit the troops. Mullen — a veteran of three wars, not to mention countless comedy show appearances — proved his mettle.
“I was surprised that when we landed at Kandahar, that you forced them to carry you around on a litter. I thought that was interesting,” Stewart said pausing, seeing if Mullen would take the bait. He smirked instead. Stewart continued: “I don’t know where they got rose petals. Certainly it’s a dry and arid place. But I’m glad you were comfortable.”
“That usually only happens once a trip,” Mullen replied to laughs.
What’s next for Mullen?
“My plan is to take a long winter’s nap,” he told Stewart.
The appearance seemed to stay on track more than Mullen’s June interview on The Late Show with David Letterman, when he answered so many questions about mistakes early in his career that he asked Letterman, “Where is this going, Dave?”
Mullen wore service dress khaki, the first time he’s worn it in his three appearances on The Daily Show. Appreciating Mullen’s sartorial sense, Stewart told him, at the end of the interview, that he hoped “that I get to try on that jacket at some point.”
“This is not a sergeant’s jacket,” Mullen replied.
New oldest Frogman – and that’s no bull
August 26th, 2011 | Admirals Historical Navy SEALs | Posted by Gidget Fuentes
Navy SEAL and Adm. Eric T. Olson salutes the flag during his Aug. 22 retirement ceremony at Naval Base Coronado, Calif.//Navy MC2 Chad J. McNeeley
The Aug. 22 retirement of Adm. Eric T. Olson marked the end of the Navy SEAL officer’s 38-year naval career – and the passing of the title of longest-serving SEAL.
Olson, a 1973 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, became a SEAL officer in 1974, an achievement that led to a storied career and command at nearly every level, from SEAL team to Naval Special Warfare Command and ultimately to his most-recent job as head of U.S. Special Operations Command, the Tampa, Fla.-based headquarters for the military’s joint special operations forces. For nearly two years, Olson also held the title of “Bull Frog,” the moniker and honor given by the UDT/SEAL Association to the SEAL who has served the longest time on continuous active duty in naval special warfare. Olson, the first Navy SEAL to reach the four-star rank, also is the first SEAL to lead the nation’s commando forces. But he’s not the last. Earlier this month, he handed over SOCOM’s reins to another experienced SEAL, Adm. William H. McRaven.
Adm. William "Bill" McRaven./DoD photo
In fact, McRaven, also a former commander of Naval Special Warfare Command and most recently commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, also follows Olson in holding the title of Bull Frog – and he gets to share it with another Navy SEAL. That is Cmdr. Brian Sebenaler, who serves as Naval Special Warfare Command’s training and readiness officer and, like McRaven, graduated with Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL’s Class 95.
Both men will share the title as the 15th Bull Frog. The names of the officers, who combined have served 70 years as SEALs, are engraved in the Bull Frog trophy, which will be kept at the association’s new UDT-SEAL Heritage Center in Norfolk, Va.
According to the association, the nickname hails back to the old days of UDT swimmers, who were nicknamed “frogmen.” The team boss was known as the Bull Frog, a moniker adopted by Rear Adm. Richard “Dick” Lyon, the original and first Bull Frog. But it wasn’t until 2007 when the Navy “officially” recognized the title with an official instruction signed off by another veteran SEAL, now-Vice Adm. Joseph Kernan, who headed the Coronado command at the time.
An earthquake story
August 24th, 2011 | Admirals Board of Inquiry Earthquake Navy Norfolk Naval Station | Posted by Bill McMichael
Millions of Americans who’d never felt an earthquake now have a story to tell — thankfully, according to reports so far, not one involving widespread destruction or death. The 5.8-magnitude temblor rattled buildings and nerves from Maine to South Carolina at 1:51 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, stunning East Coast residents for whom earthquakes are a rarity. The quake’s epicenter was in north-central Virginia, which hadn’t experienced a quake of this magnitude since 1897.
At Naval Station Norfolk, yours truly and three other reporters covering the Board of Inquiry for former Enterprise skipper Capt. Owen Honors were ensconced on the 3rd floor of the Regional Legal Service Office in an otherwise empty Courtroom 3, set aside as a filing center, during a brief recess.
I was standing next to a table when the floor started wobbling gently, then a fair bit more vigorously. We all froze and looked at each other. I’d never experienced an earthquake but when someone said, “What’s that?”, I said with an odd certainty, “That’s an earthquake.” My eyes were quickly drawn to the 125-lb. TV monitor attached to the ceiling by a thick bracket, not far vertically from the left shoulder of Hugh Lessig of the Daily Press. I joked, “I think you better move.” The bracket held.
It stopped after what seemed like 15 seconds, though it could have been longer. After a few minutes of excited chatter, it was time for the hearing to resume, so we went back to Courtroom 1. It was empty. After a couple of minutes, we collectively thought: Hmm. Maybe they’ve evacuated. So we headed down to the 1st floor. Many personnel had left the building but it hadn’t been officially cleared, so we headed into a waiting room to get the story from CNN.
The hearing resumed a short while later. The first witness was Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, director of the Joint Staff at the Pentagon, whose secretary said Gortney’s telephonic testimony would have to wait a few minutes because he was “on the red phone with the NorthCom commander.”
2nd Fleet … fading from view
June 28th, 2011 | Admirals Disestablishment Fleet Forces Command Navy Second Fleet Training | Posted by Bill McMichael
The path toward the Sept. 30 disestablishment of 2nd Fleet, the command that oversees all Atlantic-based naval operations and the training and certification of fleet battle groups, and its merger with Fleet Forces Command, runs this week through a “merged staff functional assessment” — a four-day exercise that aims to evaluate the soon-to-be merged command’s ability to react to a crisis event.
It would be interesting to see that evaluation. Concerns about the merged staff’s ability to do so were raised internally by senior officials involved in the planning of the move, according to an internal Fleet Forces Command report and subsequent independent study reported on by Navy Times May 22. As noted by a former 2nd Fleet commander, retired Vice Adm. Marty Chanik, the consolidated staff, minus a total of 460 active-duty and reserve billets being lost at 2nd Fleet, could be overstretched to the extent of possibly “losing either [Area of Responsibility]-wide situational awareness or local fleet focus,” Chanik wrote.
This strain could increase, Chanik said, during out-of-area deployments or unexpected events, such as a hurricane evacuation.
In fact, high-demand situations could force significant internal staff shifts, wrote Vice Adm. Gerald Beaman in the internal staff report. At the time, Beaman was Fleet Forces’ former deputy chief of staff for Global Force Management, Joint Operations and Fleet/Joint Training; he now serves as the 3rd Fleet commander. “Obviously, from an operational perspective, we’d need to maintain our ability to pull personnel throughout the command to support crisis operations,” Beaman wrote.
Despite such concerns, Fleet Forces, in a June 27 press release, says the restructured and merged Fleet Forces staff will be able to “execute its mission without risk to operational forces.”
“The ability to assume no risk to the execution of current operations and all operational functions of C2F is fundamental to the merger of the USFF/C2F staffs,” said Rear Adm. Scott Craig, Fleet Forces’ deputy chief of staff for fleet capabilities requirements, concepts, and experimentation.
In the exercise, which began Monday, about 125 personnel were moved to an unidentified alternate operating facility outside of the Norfolk area in response to a notional hurricane scenario, “testing the command’s ability to execute a Continuity of Operations Plan.” The exercise will “help identify gaps and seams across elements of the staff in a simulated crisis; ensure staff capability to operate across strategic, operational and tactical levels of responsibility; demonstrate the ability to exercise Command & Control of the Fleet from an alternate operating facility; and enable directorates and special assistants to prepare for the upcoming hurricane season.”
The need for an alternate command and control facility outside of Norfolk — should, say, a natural disaster render Fleet Forces’ command capabilities inoperative — is required in part because of the imminent loss of 2nd Fleet’s Maritime Operations Center, also located in Norfolk, which is being merged with Fleet Forces’. Fleet Forces spokesman Capt. Chris Sims said in May that in the long term, the Navy “will gain savings by not maintaining and upgrading two Maritime Operations Centers less than two miles from each other.”
The disestablishment decision is the result of a 2010 Pentagon savings initiative that required the services to find ways to reduce spending by more than $150 billion over the next five years.
The Navy declined to provide an estimate of how much the 2nd Fleet disestablishment will save annually.